VITAL ISSUE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 42, 13 November 1936, Page 14

VITAL ISSUE

British Success Of Hollywood Films

'THE American paper ‘‘Variety,” has been holding another of its statistical inquiries into the welfare of the film business. Two interesting facts have emerged. One is that Hollywood’s major studios spend £600,000 between them every week. The other is that the American and Canadian box offices cannot take in sufficient money to meet this expenditure. It is now vital to Hollywood that its films should be successes in Great Britain. This £600,000 a week (or something over £80,000,000 a year), represents only the studio costs. When you add to that the cost of distributing and advertising the films, you get a grand total of rather more than £40,000,000.

Hollywood has got to collect that amount from filmgoers before it even starts to make a profit. Up to the beginning of September, it has made sure of £20,000,000 for its 1936-37 schedule. It is counting on getting another £20.000,000 before the end of the year. That much has come from America and Canada. It will pay the directors, the stars, the cameramen and all the workers in the studio offices and on the sets.

But the shareholders aud the artists who work on a percentage basis have got to look to, England for their money. Now, more than ever before, Hollywood has to consult the tastes of British filmgoers. “If you don’t 'like the way Hollywood is making its pictures, just write and say so,” advises an English critic. “The studios will fall over themselves to please you.”